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Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, March 24, 1909, Image 3

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Stealing the Davy Jones
“By an Ejc-Operative of the X/nited State* Secret Service.
APT AIN DICKSON, a Retired
Officer, Uncovers and Nabs
Perpetrators of Most Daring
Theft — Full-Grown Steam
boat Is Taken on Inland River
—Vessel Long Used by Government
and Then Sold to Hank Parlow —
His Part in the Tale of the Davy
Jones—Last Cruise of Famous Craft
T SEEMS preposterous,”
said Capt. Dickson, "that
thieves could steal and get
away with a full grown
steamboat and that, too,
on an inland river. Rnt
this is Just exactly what
a gang of river pirates did
in the case of the Davy
Jones.avern-wheel steam
boat thu once belonged to
the government service
and which was employed
with other boats of the govern
ment fleet on the Mississippi river in
looking after the levees, keeping the
channel clear and the government
lights burning, and the numerous oth
er matters that the government has
assuL.ed in connection with the navi
gation on that stream.”
Capt. Dickson was a retired secret
service officer and I had known him
for many years. He had no thought
■of publishing his reminiscences, but
when I c.-uld get him under the influ
ence of a warm fire In his cozy par
lor, a pipe, and a glass—never more
than two in an evening—of his favo
rite sherry, I always got something
that was worth publishing and I used
to tell him 60. And as the principals
to the affairs were so hidden In the
telling and tho locale of the events
was usually so far away he did not
object. I prefer to tell it in his own
words.
The boat had been operated by the
government until it had been consid
ered unsuifed for its needs, and then
tt was sold to a curious old river man
named Hank Carlow, who employed it
as a trading boat, towing a largo flat
boat with it, and picking up such odd
Jobs of towing and freighting as
chance threw in his way.
ou it and after some difficulty I de
ciphered this message:
the dav Jonea ta up at francls Hlver.
It was not signed and the writing
showed that its author was in no
sense a scholar. I was pondering over
it when Parlow came in to tell me that
the gasoline launch was ready for my
riera^-’-a whenever I wished to set
out. I had not really intended going
on a cruise, ns I thought the boat
would be found in a day or so, but the
anonymous letter had put the idea in
my head. I showed the note to Par
low and ho became highly excited.
He sworo. "That's just what I thought
they'd do. They've run out there in
the swamps to pick the boat to pieces
so that they can find my gold. There
alu't no gold aboard It, but them thiev
ing river-rats think there is, and this
ain’t the first time they've tried to
get at it.”
We left about one o’clock an l made
rapid time down the river. I had oft
en seen the Mississippi river during a
flood hut I had never fully uncerstood
its h resistible force until this trip
down it in the 30 foot launch We
traveled at the rate of a racehorse.
Parlow wanted to run after nightfall,
and white I was more in favor of tying
up, he nnd Wastrow assured me that
traveling was absolutely safe and, as
they were experienced liver men and
seemed to understand the boat and
the river, too, I consented and turned
in making a bed on the locker seat of
the forward cabin. My bed was a Utile
cramped and the situation was a novel
one .but I soon dropped asleep and
didn't vpke until it was broad day
i was in me ornce or toe surveyor or
customs at a certain Mississippi river
city one day when Parlow came in to
have his license renewed and the sur
veyor introduced him to me. He was a
peculiar character, and when it came
to paying the fee for the license. Par
low drew forth a greasy pouch from
some indeterminate place of conceal
ment about his person, and paid the
amount from a $20 gold piece. He
asked for his change in gold, but as
there happened to be none in the
office Just then he accepted the silver
and bills with some showing of reluc
tance and bowed himself out of the
office.
After he had left, the surveyor told
mo that Parlow was a miser and was
reputed to be worth many thousands
of dollars. His fortune, so the river
men said, was concealed somewhere
about the boat Davy Jones, and It
was thought to be all In gold, as Par
low Invariably had every bit of silver
and every bill that fell Into his hands
sonvcrted Into gold coins at his first
opportunity.
I dWn't see Parlow again until some
weeks later, when he came Into my
office and told me that his boat had
been stolen from the wharf the night
before and he wanted mo to find It
He was frenzied with grief and cha
grin and swore, with many black and
long-winded oaths, that he would kill
the thieves on sight If he could find
them. I doubted if the rase was one
In my Jurisdiction, but I wired the par
ticulars to the department at Washing
ton and received Instructions to go on
search for the vessel and endeavor to
capture the rogues. It seems that
there had been considerable complaint
from the port where I was then sta
tinned, of thefts of goods and other
articles f-unti steamboats, and as the
wc't was attributed to a gang of river
(\iAtes. the chief thought It would be
% good Job to round up the gang -nd
fint them where they would do no
barm.
HUAI ui^i mut*,.
It was close to noon when we turned
a sharp bond In the river, which Par
low told me was 30 miles from the
Mississippi. On tho fnrther shore there
was a depression in the treeline, which
barlow said Indicated that a slough or
lead put out there, and that If It were
followed up one would probably find
a lake back In the timber. I looked
at It curiously, and was on the point
of asking some question when Wae
trow, who was steering, became great
ly excited and called Parlow to his
side. He pointed across the river at
the mouth of the slough and seemed
to be endeavoring to show some ob
ject to his companion. Parlow saw It
In an Instant, and the boat’s prow was
headed for It. I couldn’t make out
what they had discovered, although I
strained my eyes, as I asked what It
was.
Parlow pointed with his long, skinny
arm at a tree limb which had been
broken half off near the trunk and
which dangled down, hanging by a
strip of bark. I saw. even at that dis
tance, that the break was white and
fresh. My companions seemed to at
tach the greatest weight to It, for they
gesticulated and pointed at It, talking
excitedly all the while.
We wore now approaching It closely,
and I suddenly saw Parlow grab up
his rifle and point It at a streak on
the trunk of the tree In which hung
the broken limb. I saw what he re
ferred to. and as we ran close beside
It I saw that It was a smudge of paint
and splinters of wood as If something
had rubbed against It. Then I real
ized the purport of these signs and did
not need the excited explanation that
ranow imurcu iu «*»
and he tftld me that a friend of his,
a aallow, slwo-Jilng fisherman named
Wastrow, own-d a faat cabin gasoline
boat that wmiid be put at my disposal.
( wired notice of the theft of the Davy
Jonea to points along tjjo river and Its
tributaries, as I felt sut*« that the boat
could not remain long undetected if It
showed Itself at any port of the Mis
sissippi.
The neat morning when I opened my
office, I found a dtrty slip of paper
among the lettera In my mall boa. Ra
tmlnlng it. I discovered pencil writing
the rlvermen gave me. We slowed the
engine down until Its muffled exhaust
was scarcely audible and stealthily
crept Into the narrow slough that ran
hack Into the tlmb°r. The men were
sure that some boat had run up this
slough, and 1 felt that they were right,
and that It must be the Teasel that
we were after, for no sane pilot would
drive a boat into such a channel un
less he were endeavoring to find a
place of concealment.
It wag a tortuous course through the
forest, by this narrow slough, or lead,
fringed with stately cypress trees
standing as straight ss arrows. Kven
my inexperienced eye could detec* that
the boat had surely passed along
the channel ahead of us. The drift
was disordered and willows and sap
lings were broken off here and there.
As we proceeded, the rlvermen
gripped their rifles nervously and
peered ahead through the open win
dow of the cabin with baleful glare of
panthers. They swept every bit of the
P/i&ioiv Z)/?/?gg£d /ro/yr
iv/r/y 60/yy yyyyy/c/yy ry.
cnannei on Doth Bines witn eyes tnat
overlooked nothing, and at the discov
ery of a new Hlgn of the boats having;
passed that way. they would nudge
each other and exchange glances that
boded no Rood for the thieves. Far
low was especially noticeable for the
Bteely glitter of his eyes, and I read
murder in them as plainly as 1 have
ever seen it in box-car letters on the
front page of a yellow journal.
We must have traveled a mile or
more, when, Just as we darted around
a clump of willows and saw a stretch
of open water loomed ahend. there
was a spiteful report far down the
lake, and a rifle ball sung over our
heads. I had been under flro before,
but it happened so suddenly that I
ducked involuntarily. Put not so with
Parlow and Wastrow. They seemed
to hail the attack with a fiendish de
light, and I saw them stick their rifles
farther out of the open window and
sight carefully down tho barrels.
Our course was changed slightly,
and as the prow of the boat swung
I to the right In obedience to the rud
der, I saw the Davy Jones tied up to
a gigantic cypress tree at the farther
side of the lake. We headed directly
for it, and there were several more
shots from Its direction, and one bul
let plumped Into the woodwork of the
cabin nnd sent a shower of splinters ,
about my cars. Over the bowed heads
of the two river-men 1 could plainly
see the steamboat, and on Us lower
deck I saw three men, each firing at
us with a repeating rifle. We were
now less than 200 yards’ distant from
them, hut neither of my companions
had replied to their Are, Our progress
wag slow, and we made an excellent
target, as tho sullen crunching of bul
lets through tho woodwork and the
splintering of glass Indicated.
As coolly as If he were giving some
direction about the running of the
launch. I heard Parlow mutter to his
companion:
"You take the one on your right side
and I'll take care of the one on mine.
You say when."
Wastrow Immediately grunted his
understanding, and although he didn’t
say "when.” he eaid something that
caused two fingers to curl about two
triggers. There was a loud report
from their riflen, sounding like a
single shot, and I saw two of the men
on the steamer crumple up like a sere
leaf, stagger a step or so, and fail to
the deck. Tho third man turned to
run, but he had only gone far enough
to permit of tl s flinging back of a
lever and a hasty taking of sight be
fore I raw him pitch forward In re
sponse to a spiteful crack from Par
low's rifle.
"”d ’a’ got him If yon hadn't,"
Wastrow grunted in a matter-of fact
way, Just as it be bad been shooting
at squirrels or ducky Instead of human
beings.
It made me turn sick to hear them
speak no lightly of killing three of
their fellow men. Wo run alongside, |
and one of the river-men jumped out
and made fast to the streamer. Par
low looked apprehensively about the
boat, and I followed his gaze, which
finally settled on the brick foundation
for tho boilers. I saw a glad light
come Into his eyes, nnd somehow I
jumped to tho conclusion that his
treasure, whatever It might be, was
concealed In that brickwork.
Wastrow had not noticed this.
The boat was In the wildest confn
slon. It was evident that the thieves
were literally following I’arlow's sug
gestion and picking It to pieces. The
stuff/ cabin and squalid staterooms
had been absolutely wrecked. The
mattresses were slit open, planking
torn away, nnd every place of conceal
ment laid hare. Parlow grinned mali
ciously at the wreck of his boat, and
I saw that he felt the keenest satis
faction at the knowledge of the three
inert things that lay out upon the
forward deck, stiffening In the drizzle
which had now turned to sleet.
Parlow examined the corpses and
said that he knew all three of thorn;
they were members of a gang of
toughs that Infested the river, and he
began to display symptom's of alarm
is soon as he had looked them over
“This ain’t all of ’em/’ he said.
“There's more’n this, and they will he
coming back here and fakin’ a pot
shot at us If we don’t hurry up and
get away." Wastrow Reemed to share
this apprehension, and suggested that •
we had best leave as soon as possible,
for tho pirates would have every ad
vantage of us If they should come
back, the timber about the boat af
fording excellent places of conceal
ment from which they could fire upon
us with safety.
Acting upon this advice, Parlow se
cured a crowbar and attacked the
brick foundation under the boiler at
a point near the farther end from the
fire box, while Wastrow stood by and
watched him with greedy eyes. With
a few lusty strokes Parlow pried oir*
some of the bricks, and I saw a small
Iron bound box wlfnl:. the opening.
f’Arlow dragged It out with some diffi
culty, It was heavy, and something
within It clinked like metal when It
was moved. VMth Wastrow's assist
ance he carried It to tho gasoline
launch and plaobri It Inside, Then he
hastened up the companionway Into
the stuffy office and dived Into the
rickety stove that stool In one corner.
He scooped the ashes from the waste
box at Its bottom, and disclosed a
small ring. Pulling on this, ho raised
an Ingeniously contrived door which
had been quite concealed by tho Mho*.
The stove had a false bottom and from
the cavity in It he brought forth three
henvy Backs wh.Ic.li I buw contained
colon.
Wastrow had watched these pro
ceeding with eyes that were nnr
rowed to *'jy silts. I could seo that
ho was Interested, and I didn't liko
the cupidity and cunning which showed
In his entire face.
Parlow hnd lugged his sacks down
the companion way and started for th«
launch, declining the assistance that
Wastrow offered him, and he was In
the act of stepping into tho launch
w'hen there came a spiteful crack and
a puff of smoke from somewhere hack
In the timber, and a bullet plumped
into a stanchion beside him, to which
the launch wan tied.
It was no time for hesitation, so
we three Jumped Into the launch and
Wastrow cut the rope which moored
us to the steamer. The surviving
members of the gang were returning,
and we had no desire to be trapped ou
the dismantled steamer. In a trice
Parlow had started the engine and w«
were headed away from the Davy
Jones. Mullets sang all around us,
and although we returned the fire, the
plritss were hid away In the timber,
and '.here was small chance of silen
cing them. We tore through the water
with bullets skipping and ricocheting
abcut us on every hand until we
turned the bend In the slough. Not
until then did we draw a full breath
or feel that wo were out of danger
from tho murderous bandits hid back
In the thick timber.
It was an uneventful cruise hack to
tho city, It having been derided that
It wits better to return there and send
out a strong party to recover the
stolon boat, than for us three to at
tempt It. I am sure thnt Parlow didn’t
sleep a wink on the return Journey,
for whenever I was awake I saw him
huddled down upon the Ironhound bos
into which he had surreptitiously
slln ad the sacks of money that he
had taken from the bottom of the
stove.
I wrs dog tired when we reached
port late the next afternoon, so I left
the rlvor-men aboard the launch after
offering to help Parlow carry his box
to a place of safety, an offer which he
declined.
That was the last I evc-r saw of eith
er of the river-men.
Parlow was found dead, floating In
the river some months later.
Wastrow. who had disappeared, was
suspected of the murder, but he was
never apprehended.
I don't know what became of the
Ironhound box, but the Davy Jones
never went on another cruise. The pi
rates burned It clear to the keel wheft
It was tied up In the isolated lake.
(Copyright. 19•». by W O Chapman.)
(Copyright in Uraat Britain.)
VESTLRH CANADA’S SPLENDID
CROP YIELD FOR 1908.
AMERICANS PROFITED LARGELY
AND SEND BACK SATISFAC*
TORY REP0RT8.
The cons ns branch of the Doper*,
■sent of Agriculture. Ottawa. Canada*
has completed Its retuiaa ef the show
ing of Western Canada's grain yield
for 1903. and tho reports make very
Interesting reading. In the three prov
inces of Manitoba. Saskatchewan and
Alberta, which comprise what may he
known as Central Canada, there wae a
total wheat yield of about 107.990.09#
bushels, worth to the farmer about
IS5.090.000; In addition to this the oat*
barley and flax crops were worth an
other 936,000,000. Letters have bees
resolved from many of the settlers
from the United States. From these,
that of ltev. Oscar L. King has bees
selected. llo lives In tho vicinity of
Edmonton, Alberta, and what he bays
will bo of Internet to those who con
template moving to Central Canada.
Every line of the letter Is Interesting.
Those who wish for the particulars as
to bow to secure homesteads sad pre
emptions should write auy Canadian
Government agent. Mr. King says:
“Mr. M. V. Mclnnnos, Detroit, Mich
igan: I am well satisfied with Al
berta. This country offers excellent
opjtortunltloe for anyono to mako a
good borne for hlmsolf aad family
If ho Is willing to put up with a fow
hard knocks for tho Urst two or three
years. liut it Is worth a few hard
knocks to got a 160 aero farm of rich,
productive land with no mortgage wa
It. Tlfls province is well titled for
grains, stock mining and dairying. We
have found tho climato "oner ally
healthful, more healthful than Mlch
Icati, and although tke thermometec
sometimes drops to 40 degrees below
zero In winter, yet wo do not soein to
foci that temperature any more thaa
we did 6 or 10 degrees below aero la
Michigan. We liko the winters.
"The Government take* greiU Inter
est in the education of the people sod
quickly ulds the settlers in establish
ing schools where they are called for.
The schools, though graded differently
than those In tho States, are efficient
and Advancing. Our great drawback
has been the limited and Inadequate
railway facilities, hut uow roads are
being rapidly built and many more
are projected through various parts
of the province. The now policy of
tho Alberta government to constmct
a great many branch linos throughout
tho jmrvinco will greatly help all parts
of the country. If those new settlers
who have to go back a considerable
distance from existing railroads and
tow.in to find free homesteads will
but locate along the lluo of a project
ed railroad they will In two or three
years bs near both town and railroad.
Wheu I first ramo to this country
three apd a half years ago the home
stead I took was 75 miles from a rail
road town; now thero is a railroad IS
miles north, another 16 miles south,
and a third is being built through my
neighborhood.
“I think tho prairie country or ootm
try that Is partly prairie offers much
better opportunities than the hilly
port Iona.”
If thou speakest what thou wilt,
thou shall hear what thou would*#
not.—Bias.
There’s Danger
Ahead
if yoa’ve been neglecting a cold.
Don'texperimentwith your health.
Get a remedy that you l^nout will
cure—that remedy ia
DR.D.JAYNE’S
EXPECTORANT
It'* mfe. In the severest cases of
cough*, cold*, bronchitis, croup, in
flammation of chest and lung* it is the
mos*. effective remedy knoan. It do«s
it* work quickly, removes the rnw*t of
the disease
Sold e+rn/tehtre fn thtm tix*
boilLt, $1.00. 50c. 25*.
wear well
and they Keep you •]
dry while you are
wearing them
^300
EVEWYWMEBE
mmnap mjewmot. *
CAJAW6 FREE
AJ Tbwcp Co.
TGwtrj Omamam
Bottom, usa.
CO uwrn, "Wmomra. Cam.

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